Here's my new toy!
Wanted a new Aug forever and waited and waited and guess it's worth the wait cause I like the M3 A1 model.

Got it about 2 weeks ago and got to shoot it yesterday at the range.

When I got it I took it nice and slow and field stripped it. 
Found the Brownells' video series to be a big help, example Steyr Aug Maintenance Series: Reassembly

The first 5 or so mags had short stroking issues, it would fire two shots, then jam, the spent case would be ejected but the new one wouldn't chamber and the bolt put a ding in the side of the .223 case.  I shoot reloads and don't load them up to max power so thought maybe this needed higher powered ammo.  So tried a few rounds of buddy's reloads and same thing, then 5 rounds of factory Wolf, same deal.  Tried 3 different magazines.  Even moved the gas port to the second big dot position.


I was trying to rapid fire and thought this was maybe the cause.  Any way I was able to slow fire a 30 rd mag and it worked, then every mag after that rapid fire fast as I could and it ran like a champ   Then I went apeshit and ran 3 30rd mags through it and again it ran flawless.  The gun got really hot though, oil was cooking off.  I learned that if you use the foregrip and pistol grip and don't touch anything else you won't get burned


When I got home and looked at the holes in the gas piston area I noticed they were lined up perfectly where before they were ever so slightly off.  Maybe this was the initial issue but it self corrected itself so I'm happy.

Everybody gripes about the trigger being too heavy.  Mine is pretty smooth, not much creep and has a crisp break.  Didn't find it heavy at all.

Here's my major issue

The gun at about 30 yards with the factory 1.5x scope was shooting way right, almost a foot to the right.  I didn't expect the scope to be that much off and I didn't monkey with the knobs on the scope beforehand.

I wasn't prepared to punch paper with it, just wanted to break it in.  But another range trip to sight it in is in order.
Is it typical for the scope out of the box to be off so much?  Any chance I'll run out of left adjustment and not able to get it zero'd.

Thanks everyone

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IN for this.  My A3M1 will be here on Wednesday

The field stripping has to be in sequence or else it won't work.  I forgot to cock the hammer and took the bbl then the receiver out then tried to take out the trigger pack.
No go, the hammer was in the upright position and won't come out the stock.  So had to put everything back together and do it in the right sequence.

The gas adjustment was a bit of puzzle, finally realized you had to push down on the tabs that hold the gas piston in place before rotating it.  Obvious now, but not the first time doing so.

it's not really necessary to remove the hammer pack for regular cleaning.  almost no carbon even makes it way back there

A couple quick things.
Scope is not zeroed from the factory.
The buttpad pin can be used to adjust a hot gas regulator. The notch at the end of the pin fits perfectly into the ears of the regulator.
Initial break-in may require a few hot rods or the adverse position. The new springs are really tight. You could lock the carrier back for a day or two also.

Good to know, thanks.  The factory manual and the Brownell's video all have removing the trigger pack as one of the steps so I did so as well

It sure would be nice if Steyr zero'd the optic from the factory like they used to.  And provide the zeroing target like they used to

The scope will be completely off out of the box.

I also don't pull the barrel from the action.  I just yank the whole action....it's still ten times easier to clean than an AR upper.  Hell, I think I only clean my bolt like once every five times out.  It's so damn clean it's a waste of time worrying about it.

I clean the barrel, the receiver extension and the gas system components....slather on some oil and slap it back together.

I LOVE this thing.

CONGRATULATIONS, OP!!!!  Welcome to Augland!!!!

Yeah don't worry about the optic. My 1.5x was 1.5" to the right at 15 yards from the factory. Took about 1 mag to get it dialed in.

Sloppy as crap the way AUG sends guns out with the optics so horribly off zero.  Come on guys, have some pride.

Every new AUG owner freaks out when they first fire it and aren't even close to hitting paper at 100 yards.  

Why make someone spend $2k on a rifle, and have their first experience be this?  The effort to at least get the optic on paper can't be that hard: bore-sight it at the factory if nothing else.

You realize that AUG is the model, not the manufacturer, right?

From what I've seen I think the dealers order, the distributor mates optics or rails as ordered, and they're sent off.

the sight being off bugged me so decided to go to the range today.

Before leaving I decided to clean the gas piston and regulator.  The regulator cleaned up rather easily but the piston was heavily carboned.  In fact I couldn't push it out using the threaded end of a cleaning rod jig so I sprayed some Break Free in it and let it soak a bit and then was able to poke it out.

Then I soaked it for about 10 minutes in Slip 2000 and with some scrubbing got it as clean as it was going to be.

Didn't have a spotting scope so I free handed plinking at rocks on a 100 yard berm and got the left to right adjustment within reason.  Then used a Lead Sled and fine tuned it.  I was shooting over a foot high at 100 yards as well. 

Noticed the sight screws were plastic and if nicked them up they'll never get unnicked up, so used a penny to turn the sight screws as it seemed to fit rather snug and was curved just like the sight adjustment slots were.

Both the vertical and horizontal adjustments took over a full turn on the sight screws

So for now it's shooting at bench rest about 1 Minute of Beer Can at 100 yards.  Future range sessions I'll fine tune it with a spotting scope and punching paper.

One small hiccup was I was loading 5 rounds per mag and when I'd seat the mag about 1/2 the time the top round would pop loose by the act of seating the mag, maybe not enough spring tension when there's only 5 rds vs 30 loaded?

Anyway, I love this gun

Think I need a green one with a 3x scope to add to the collection

That is the only problem I have with AUG mag.  I am trained to SLAP a mag home and I doubt I will ever break that habit.  You really don't need to do it with the AUG unless the bolt is closed.  AUSteyr P mags tend NOT to loose rounds into the action if slapped, so I tend to use those instead of factory mags.  Magpul AUSteyrs are sweeeet mags.  I love 'em.

you don't have to slam the mag in like with an AR.  AUG Pmags correct this btw

The other trick is to reload the rifle with it rotated towards the ejection port. That way if a round does pop out it can fall out of the ejection port instead of causing a stoppage.

AJ

Correct.  Steyr USA is a relatively small operation compared to a lot of firearm companies.   They also have to farm out major components of their AUGs to subcontractors; it's assembly not manufacture.  Their physical location reflects this.

You're not getting a rifle off the Austrian production line like the pre-bans that were test fired and sighted in just like the military contract rifles.  Those doughnut-o-death reticle zeroing targets are pretty slick though.

Steyr USA would have to charge even more for the optic models if they were to zero them to Austrian factory specs like back in the day.  Then the distributors would end up getting stuck with stock that isn't moving fast enough.  Between the stock colors and the optics, they would have to stock a metric shit ton of AUGs.  I'm 99.9% sure my wife's AUG was an optic model the dealer swapped with a rail and reduced the price accordingly.  If that situation was reversed, it would take the dealer at least half and hour to swap the rail to the optic, then take it to their controlled range that they have to pay for, then put it in the fixture they had to buy, then zero the rifle.  How much of that overhead would be absorbed by the consumer?  AUGs simply do not fly off the shelves.  (I love ours, don't misread that)

If someone spent $2000 on their AUG and doesn't have the emotional fortitude to zero their scope without complaining online, they should possibly find a new hobby.  Or spend $50 more and get a laser boresighter and learn how to zero your optic.

The modularity of the new AUGs is why I bought one; having the ability to swap rails and factory optics is great.

Unless you have the 9mm version , then she's a dirty girl

I want a lefty AUG so bad.

got my $100 rebate today

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